Explosion at the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Crime Lab Evidence Incinerator

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, TX -- This morning, at approximately 9:00 a.m., employees from the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office Crime Laboratory were conducting routine evidence destruction utilizing the crime laboratory incinerator. The evidence being destroyed was for the Galveston Police Department. The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office routinely partners with outside law enforcement agencies to assist them with their evidence chain and conducts regular courtesy evidence destruction. Shortly after the evidence was loaded into the incinerator for destruction, staff in the crime laboratory heard an explosion. Staff made their way to the incinerator, where multiple secondary blasts occurred. A brief small fire was extinguished by MCSO staff, and the Conroe Fire Department was called to respond, who continued to extinguish the fire. Conroe Fire Department's Haz-Mat Unit also responded to the scene and decontaminated staff and the surrounding areas.

Multiple staff members from the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office were treated on scene by MCHD medic units for smoke inhalation and hazardous material exposure. Out of an abundance of caution, one employee was taken to a local hospital for evaluation. This staff member is expected to fully recover from his exposure. The crime laboratory and the surrounding buildings are intact, with no significant structural damage to either the building itself or the surrounding structures.

The Montgomery County Fire Marshal's Office Hazardous Device Unit is currently conducting a post-blast investigation in conjunction with the Conroe Fire Department Fire Marshal’s Office, the ATF and the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office. The Montgomery County Fire Marshal's Office is the lead investigating agency on this explosion, and all investigative questions should be directed to their office.

The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office extends our heartfelt gratitude to the local agencies that rallied to our aid today. We are especially thankful for the Conroe Fire Department, the Conroe Fire Department Haz-Mat Crew, the Montgomery County Hospital District, the Montgomery County Fire Marshal's Investigators and Bomb Squad, and the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF).

To maintain the privacy of the staff members involved and preserve the integrity of this investigation, no further information will be released at this time.